Rangers Avoid Arbitration With Cruz And Wilson

The Texas Rangers signed a pair of one year contracts yesterday helping them avoid arbitration with two fan favorites. Texas signed LHP C.J. Wilson and slugging OF Nelson Cruz to one year deals.

Wilson received the higher of the contracts, as he signed a single season deal worth $7 million to keep from going to arbitration with the AL Champions. Wilson made the move into the starting rotation last season and helped the World Series bound Rangers by winning 15 decisions. Wilson also led the Rangers in ERA (3.35), innings pitched (204.0) and games started (33).

Cruz received his new one year contract, worth $3.65 million, yesterday after helping the Rangers with his hot bat in the playoffs. Cruz batted .317 in the postseason and led the team in HR (6), RBI (11) and runs scored (13). Cruz did have his share of trouble though as he ended up missing over 50 regular season games with injuries.

With the Rangers agreeing to deals with Cruz and Wilson, only three players remain eligible for arbitration. Those three include right-handed relievers Darren O'Day and Frank Francisco, and AL MVP Josh Hamilton. Hamilton led the league last season with a .359 batting average, and was 2nd on the Rangers in RBI at 100.

Contract dealings, and arbitration talk, shouldn’t keep Hamilton from making his appearance here in the city of Lubbock. Hamilton will still speak, on the campus of LCU, on Valentine’s Day. Individual tickets for the event are sold out, but the event as a whole is not.